Don't Let Go
by FireflyLlama
Summary: A collection of one shots from all different view points. Some may be sad, others make you smile, but they all finish with 'Don't let go'. Please R&R! x
1. Alone, Lost and Wanting

**A/N- Ok, so I was bored and I just daydreamed up a good idea for a one-shot. So this is what I thought of and I hope you like it!**

**Let my obsession with Finnick continue...**

**Disclaimer: I don't own the Hunger Games**

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><p><em>Alone. <em>

That's how I used to feel. When I was just a boy of fourteen, with the line between life and death so thin that one false move, one second of daydream could stop my heart beating. Could snatch my life away without a care, or a second thought. When you're just you, by yourself in a world where everyone's your enemy and nowhere is safe. Where pain is your neighbour and death is your teacher. Where you sleep out in the open, waiting for either dehydration or another person to kill you. End your life in one split second. _That's when you feel most alone._

_Lost._

A feeling I have never escaped. The feeling that comes and goes like day and night. Like the air inside your lungs; entering and leaving in a rhythm that won't be stopped until you die. Lost is a feeling I've felt too many times. When you don't know where you are, or why you're there. When you don't know who is your friend and who is your enemy. When you don't even know yourself anymore. _That's when you feel most lost._

_Wanting_

The need, the craving for something. For someone. That force inside you that reaches out, longing for that one person. That one person who feels what you feel. Who sees what you see. Who knows what you know. That one person; that singleperson alone, who can change how you feel. Who can make you see the light at the end of that infernal cave that you're trapped inside. That one person that could let you out; let you be the person you are inside. When you have that person beside you, everything makes sense. _That's when the wanting stops._

"Did you love Annie right away, Finnick?" Katniss asks, refraining from her knots.

I look at my own piece of rope. The corse strings weaved tightly; bonded in an unbreakable connection. When I winded them round between my bleeding fingers, the sense of pain had passed. No amount of blood or raw patches on my skin could hurt me any more than I am now. No physical pain could outnumber the pain I feel inside.

"No" I reply after a short while. "She crept up on me"

I try to smile to ease my thoughts and fight away the depression that's slowly taking over my mind. But I can't. I can't smile when there's nothing to smile about. The memories of her should make me happy, but they just make me long for her even more. What I would do to hold her again; to feel her breath against my neck and feel her heart beating under her skin. Close to mine.

"They're back. We're wanted in the hopsital" The door is pushed open and Haymitch stands in the doorway. "That's all I know"

He disappears behind the door and we're left alone again. Katniss turns to me and stares into my eyes, trying to reach out to me. But she can't get to me. I can't hear her words or see her pleading eyes. All I can think about is Annie.

A hand takes mine and I'm pulled out the room and towards the hospital. People are talking, doctors are shouting, the wounded are being wheeled around in beds. All this hustle around me, but I don't hear a thing. I can't hear over the pounding of my heart.

"Finnick!" A voice echoes throughout the hall. I can hear this voice over everyone else and now, it's the most important thing I could ever hear. "Finnick!"

It's her. She runs towards me; her ebony hair swishing behind her in a mass of tangled beauty. Her sea green eyes focus on mine, drawing me into a connection. An unbreakable connection. She's wearing but a sheet and her legs break out from underneath, unstoppable as she races toward me.

I find my legs moving from beneath me and I begin to run too. My feet hit the ground hard, but I keep going and going. We meet in the middle and collide into each other's bodies. The force of the hit causes us to fall backwards, crashing into the wall. I feel the pain, all I can feel is her skin against mine and her breath on my neck.

My fingers tremble as they run through her curled hair and my lips kiss her again and again and again. Her warm skin tingles against my lips as they press together. I can smell and taste the salt from her, reminding me of our days we spent running along the beach, hand in hand. How happy we used to be and how happy I am now to have her back.

I no longer feel alone. I no longer feel lost. And I have what I want.

"Finnick" She mumbles into my chest. "Don't let go"

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><p><strong>AN- That's just my interpretation of Finnick's thoughts about Annie.**

**So yeah, I would really like to know what you thought about it. I have more ideas for one-shots with the 'don't let me go' theme, so if you want more like this then PLEASE REVIEW!**

**Thanks, FireflyLlama x**


	2. I Am The Girl On Fire

**A/N- **

**Just another one shot you might like. This is my view about the tribute parade in the first book. Katniss' POV.**

**I don't own the Hunger Games**

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><p>"Remember, heads high. Smiles. They're gonna love you" Cinna tells us, before setting our capes alight.<p>

My body tenses, waiting for the heat to burn through the costume and frazzle on my skin. I wait for the flames to lick my back and send darts of pain along my spine. I wait. But, it doesn't come. Instead, I'm greeted with a soft tingling sensation that tickles my back ever so slightly. I relax my body a little with relief. It's a weird feeling; being set on fire, but I suppose it looks good. Peeta looks amazing, so I guess I look the same. Pretty much.

I can hear each District being called, starting from District 1. Looking to one of the screens, I can see the tributes, riding on their chariot, dressed in jewels to represent their District. They make luxury items for the Capitol, hence the sparkles. They look stunningly beautiful and seem perfectly calm and confident as they wave to the crowds. Completely different to myself, trembling with fear. But, it's not fear of the fire behind me. It's the fear of everyone watching me. Waiting for me to mess up.

Quickly, too quickly, the tributes are drawn into the spotlights. District 11 has just been called and now, I'm feeling more nervous than ever. I turn to Cinna, but I can't understand what he's saying over the cheering of the crowds. Luckily, Peeta does and whispers to me.

"Hold my hand"

I look at him uncertainly, but I take his offering hand. Cinna gives us a thumbs-up and disappears behind, as our chariot starts to move.

My grip instantly tightens and I receive an encouraging smile from Peeta. He seems a lot more at ease than me, but in his eyes I can see the anxiousness he feels inside. We draw back from our gaze and face ahead. The doors open and we are pulled into the city.

And it's beyond anything I could have imagined.

The crowds of people stretch out far and wide, spreading out for miles and miles. The screams and cheers are deafening as people chant for the Districts ahead of us. But, as soon as me and Peeta are the centre of attention, the crowds go silent. I glance at Peeta and he glances back at me. We both look panicked, not knowing what to do next. Is this supposed to happen? Why are they staring at us in such... shock?

Then I realise. We're on fire.

The capes flow behind us in a wave of fire, crackling like real flames that leap around fearlessly. And that's how I feel now. Fearless.

On the screens around us, I can see the cameras are focused on me and Peeta. I don't blame them - we look fantastic. The light from the flames brighten up our faces and the minimal amount of makeup we have on proves just right. We don't look fake; we don't look pretty. We look dangerous. And I like the feeling.

Within a few minutes of new found fame, I find my free hand reaching up and waving to the crowds. Waving to the people that scream my name. _Katniss. Katniss. Katniss. _It's not long before Peeta's doing the same and the crowds cheer even more wildly. They love us and it seems that everyone is reaching out for a kiss. So, I give them what they want and blow kisses to them all. I'm not just glowing on the outside, but I'm also glowing on the inside.

I am the girl on fire.

Our chariot finally pulls in, along with the eleven others. We stop waving, but the crowds still chant our names. No one seems to be paying any attention to the other tributes, as if it's just me and Peeta. Just the two tributes from District 12, who stand surrounded by ferocious flames.

My eyes flicker over to Peeta and he grins at me. It's then, that I notice our hands are still joined; our fingers still locked together. I suddenly feel embarrassed and loosen my grip, expecting Peeta to do the same. We've done our parade, so there's no longer any need to keep the act going.

But Peeta doesn't. Instead, his grip tightens. I look at him in confusion, but he whispers in my ear.

"Don't let go"

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><p><strong>AN- Like it? If you did then please leave me a nice review and I'll write more!**

**Thanks, FireflyLlama x**


	3. Baking With Katniss

**A/N- I decided to write another 'Don't Let Me Go' last night...**

**This one's a little longer than the others and a bit more lighthearted and much less serious. I fancied writing in Peeta's POV, so this could be a little weird...**

**What could happen if Peeta tried to bake cupcakes with Katniss?**

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><p>"Uh, you ruined it!" I cry, knocking the bowl and sending it flying across the kitchen.<p>

It lands with a satisfying thud and the contents pour over the tiled floor. Clots of pink frosting - I say frosting... more like congealed, pink shampoo - stick to the tiles, creating the difficult task of cleaning. If that's not bad enough, the gloop has also stuck around the surface of the mixing bowl and the whisk. The whisk is even harder to clean! Especially when trying to manoeuvre a sponge between the metal cage. Couldn't she have used a wooden spoon?

"Sorry..." Katniss mumbles as she bends down to pick up the bowl. "It looked fine to me"

I sigh a heavy sigh and look at her in disappointment. "Really? Did you not _feel_ the texture?"

"Um..." She mumbles, not knowing what to say.

"Frosting is supposed to be light and fluffy. It needs a smooth consistency; to be soft on the tongue. It needs a fine blend between the ingredients, so they can compliment each other and create something beautiful. A froster needs something easy to work with, so they can delicately swirl and merge colours together to create designs. Presentation is key and without a carefully made frosting, the whole cake looks unprofessional; as if a three year old has slapped it on! We are not three year olds; we are much more matured beings. Do we slap frosting? No. No we do not. We blend and apply with great concentration"

I pause, waiting for Katniss to agree, but she doesn't. There's no nod of approval, not even an absent minded smile. All I see is her staring at me as if I were an alien from another planet.

"You _what_?" She says, her mouth gaping open like a giant hole in the earth.

"I just told you the basics of frosting!" I exclaim, completely dumbfounded. Did she not hear a word I just said?

"The _basics_?" She says, her eyes wide with horror. Or maybe shock... hmm, I can't quite tell...

"Of course that was the basics! Everyone knows that"

"I don't" She mumbles, her finger intertwined with her braid.

"Well you should" I state. "Sub section 5 of the Baking Bible: Frosting. Rule number 1 clearly states, _'When creating any species of frosting, one must ensure that a smooth consistency runs throughout; any lump, bump or clump must be blended to the death' _"

"There's a _Baking Bible_?"

"Yeah... What is wrong with you today, Katniss? You've been coming out with some weird things..." I mutter to her, walking over to the cupboard and rummaging through the contents.

My hands sort through pouches of ingredients; from wholemeal flour to self-raising; from granulated sugar to golden caster; from sultanas to chocolate chips. Any cake component you name, we have it. It's like a superstore for bakers. Heaven in a cupboard.

Eventually, I gather up all the relevant ingredients and place them on the table, arranging them in order of use and size. I beckon Katniss over and she soon joins me, her sleeves rolled up and ready to bake.

"Great work Katniss" I point to her shortened sleeves.

"Oh, right, that. Nah, I was just a little hot. It's boiling in here" She explains, fanning her face with her hand.

I raise my eyebrows at her and give my head a little shake, sighing at her lack of enthusiasm.

"Well, then... Let us begin with the sponge" I start, pulling out a fresh mixing bowl and spoon. This time, a wooden one to begin with.

"Ok, is it flour first?" Katniss asks, picking up a bag of self-raising and examining the label.

"Yes. Now, we want 500 grams of flour" I tell her, passing her some scales.

She nods and begins pouring flour into the bowl, occasionally checking the scales for perfect measurement. When it hits 500 exactly, she smiles and tips the flour into the bowl. So far so good... but it's not really difficult to measure flour.

"What next, Mr Chef?" She asks, scanning over the ingredients with genuine interest.

"Aha, now is time for the sugar, ma dear. What's left in the bag is plenty enough" I reply, passing her the sugar.

Again, she successfully pours in the sugar and asks me for the next instruction. I give tell her the next things to add and everything seems to be going perfect. Until we reach the eggs.

"Ok, you've got to fold the eggs in, not beat them yet. This way, they'll blend the other ingredients in slowly and it's a better method for the cakes we are making" I instruct her, placing two round eggs in her palms.

She doesn't move for a moment, just stares at the eggs that sit in her hands. I clear my throat in a way to hint at her and she mumbles something under her breath and cracks the eggs into the bowl. A few pieces of cracked shell fall in, but I swiftly remove them with a teaspoon and clear them out of harms way.

It's when I return that I almost have a heart attack. Katniss is standing in front of the bowl, about to plunge her hands in the mixture. She seems as if she knows what she's doing. But by hell, she doesn't.

"Katniss! NOOOO!" I yell, thrusting my body forward to stop her from sticking her hands in.

Fortunately, she hears me in time and spins around, her face stricken with fear.

"Oh my god Peeta. What was that for?" She gawps at me.

"You were about to put your hands in it!" I exclaim.

"And? You told me to _fold_ in the eggs" She says, looking at me in a confused manner.

My palm comes up to hit my face. "You don't fold eggs like you do with paper! It'll sink straight through your hands and create an uneven texture! Sub section 2 of the Baking Bible: Binding Ingredients. Rule number 17 very clearly states that _'When one uses their hands within a recipe, they must be performing one of the following tasks: kneading, bread crumbing, crumbling, flattening, rolling or shaping. Other than that, one's hands should not come into contact with the mixture at any one time'_ "

"Oh..."

"Well, there's no harm done now, is there? I'll just fold in these eggs and we'll continue" I sigh, walking over to the bowl.

I blend the ingredients together and work on achieving a smooth consistency; whisking the mixture around and around, quickly but without fault. My wrist moves with speed as the flour, eggs and other ingredients merge together. The lumps soon dissolve and a silky solution is left. I do this whole process in silence; Katniss watching my every move.

Throughout the blending, I keep having images of Katniss plunging her hands into the bowl. Seeing the mixture ooze out between her fingers, squelching and glooping together. The thought of what may have happened sickens me. Only once in my life have I seen someone blend with their hands... I must confess, it horrified me. Seeing it happen in my own kitchen would just be dreadful!

Katniss rejoins me as we pour the liquid into the cupcake cases, her face still with concentration. We manage to fill each case without any spillages and I'm starting to feel like she's got the hang of baking. Ah, it must be after watching my techniques that she's picked it up. She must be a visual learner, much like myself. Well, at least there won't be any more accidents or near heart attacks. There's nothing else that could go wrong now; the cakes are baking in the oven and I've already made the frosting. Besides, she's got a baking streak, I think.

Twenty minutes later and the cakes have risen nicely; all golden brown on the outside an fluffy on the inside. Just how a cupcake should be. I'm just applying the last cupcake with some baby pink frosting, my tongue out to the side as I put all my attention on getting that perfect swirl. Not that I need to really, after all, I am a professional.

"Next batch is ready for frosting, Mr Chef" Katniss announces gleefully, bringing over another twelve golden cakes.

"Why thank you, Assistant Chef" I say, grinning at her with pride. "How's the chocolate frosting going?"

"Great, I'm just blending it now" She replies, halfway over to the other table.

"You're not using your hands this time?" I tease, calling over to her.

"Nope" Comes her reply. "Just the electric whisk"

"Um... which one?" I ask anxiously.

"The orange one" She says back.

I drop my frosting tube.

"Katniss! Don't touch the orange one!" I yell, panicking as I sprint across the room, my hands covered in frosting and icing sugar.

She turns around sharply and stares at me in surprise.

"Um... I kinda already have..." She admits, the whisk in her hand.

"Well don't turn it on, whatever you do" I order, heart still beating hard.

"Ok then..." She replies. "I'll just flick the lock on then"

Her finger flicks the switch.

I scream.

Chocolate sauce splatters across my heated cheeks, my apron and in my hair. Within a few seconds, the whole kitchen is decorated in droplets of brown liquid. It slides down the walls, leaving behind mud like trails. The floor becomes a slippery level of chocolate, smearing across tiles and slowing me down as I try to reach Katniss.

She's screaming, her hand clutching the whirring whisk and everything from her head down to her toe is splattered with chocolate. The sound from the metal cage whirling around is abnormal. It's loud and stuttering out of control.

"Peeta! How do I get it to stop?" Katniss screams to me, her face flustered.

"You can't! The off switch broke ages ago!" I yell back over the sound. "I forgot to tell you!"

"Well what can I do then?" She cries. "I can't take it anymore, it's too wild! I'll just have to drop it!"

"No Katniss! Whatever you do; DON'T. LET. GO."

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><p><strong>AN- Haha... that was a bit weird... I'm not really sure if there is a Baking Bible, but if there is could someone let me know?**

**Muchos gracias and if you liked this, then please REVIEW and it really means a lot to me. It will only take half a minute to make me glow inside, so do a good deed for the day, please!**

**Oh, and I think I might write more of these baking sessions with different characters, your views?**

**Thanks, FireflyLlama x**


	4. Meant For You

**A/N- Hmm, I decided I wanted to write in Gale's POV for an experiment and this is the result!**

**Hope you like it! x  
><strong>

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><p>"Gale, wait!" Her bubbly voice calls, as I make my way down the street.<p>

I pause and turn around, watching her fly down after me, her extensive blonde hair flowing wildly behind her. She runs fairly fast, so within a few moments, she reaches me.

Her soft cheeks are flushed a pale pink against her golden hinted skin and her breaths are gentle, but quicker than normal. Most of her skin is exposed, except from a short, white cotton dress that hangs way above her knees, showing off her toned legs and bare feet. She's quite a bit shorter in height to me, her head reaching just my shoulders. Years ago, she wasn't the type of girl I would have chosen, but I'm a new person now. A new person discovering new opportunities.

"You didn't say goodbye" She tells me, resting her hand on my shoulder.

"I didn't want to wake you" I reply softly, taking a strand of her hair and twisting it around my finger.

"It's ok, I was just wondering why you left so suddenly" She says.

"Ah, well that would be telling" I tease.

"Oh, well then. You'd best be on your way then" She replies, her delicate fingers running through my hair.

"I suppose I should be" I whisper, pulling her body in closer.

She rises on her tiptoes to reach my face and wraps her arms around my neck. My hands find her small waist and rest lightly on her hips. A smile grows on her lips and her eyelids flutter closed as I bend my neck to allow my lips to touch hers. We stay for a few moments, deep in each others embrace, then we finally pull apart.

"Bye Gale" She breathes to me.

"Bye Maya" I murmur back, releasing her from my arms.

I give her one more soft kiss on her forehead, before turning and leaving her standing in the street.

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><p>I walk into the main shopping square, dodging crowds of people and passing carts. It's a lot busier here in District 2 than my old home. Well, the population is far larger and after all, it was a Career District when the Capitol ruled. It's not as bad as it sounds, as the atmosphere is great. People are so happy now, what with the Hunger Games abolished and their children spared. Everyone calls each other neighbour and everyone seems to get along so well. You can't even walk down the road without someone stopping you for a 'quick catch up'. Everyone knows everyone.<p>

Although, sometimes I do think back to my old life in District 12. When there was sadness everywhere and peoples' faces were as dull as the grey atmosphere. It was one of the poorest Districts, with families like mine struggling to eat properly. When my father died in a mining accident, things got even worse for us. Without the money from my father's work, my mother could barely provide enough food for us. So, being the eldest, I took it as my responsibility to act the father role. I was too young to work in the mine, so I used to sneak out to hunt in the wood just outside the District. It was forbidden, but we were desperate. And that's where I met Katniss Everdeen.

Her father had also died in a mining accident, so she was forced to provide for her mother and younger sister. We met once, while hunting for meat and became hunting partners. It became a regular thing and soon enough, we were best friends. Except, I wanted to be more than just friends...

"Excuse me, sir" A voice cuts me from my thoughts. I look back up to see a man holding out a small box in his hand, inside holding a ring. "Is this the right one?"

I take the box and stare at the shining ring. It's beautiful. Perfect, even.

"Oh, yes thanks" I say.

I pay with cash and head out the shop, the box tucked in my jacket pocket. The bell on the door rings as I leave and the ringing sound repeats in my head as I walk away from the shop. It keeps ringing in my ears; it's all I can hear. I see people yelling things at me, but it's as if I'm deaf. They just look like they're miming and no sound is escaping their mouths. Other people give me strange looks as I keep walking, ignoring everything and everyone I pass.

I end up walking way out of town and finally stop when I reach a grassy bank by a flowing river. Sitting on the grass, I stay and watch the water ripple past me. It seems so peaceful and quiet, but I don't seem at all relaxed. My mind is just full of mixed messages of Maya and...Katniss.

I haven't thought of Katniss for ages, until today. I'd just accepted that I had lost her to Peeta Mellark, the baker she won the 74th Games with. At first, yes, it was painful to watch the girl I most loved walk away with another guy. Heartbreaking. So, I moved to District 2 to start a new life, where everything I saw wouldn't remind me of her.

And it took me a while to finally let go and that's when I found happiness with Maya. We've been together for about 3 years now, and I've been planning to propose to her soon. Today to be exact. I've been planning my proposal for weeks now, making sure to include every tiny little detail. I wanted this to be perfect, but now, I'm having second thoughts about marrying her.

Sure, I love her and I know we'll live happily together, but I can't stop the niggling feeling telling me that she's just second best. The best being Katniss.

I take out the box from my pocket and open it. The white-gold ring stares straight at me. I chose this colour because I thought it would suit the innocence of Maya, but the more I look at it, the more I see Katniss. The simple design engraved would be everything she would love. She wasn't into all the fancy stuff, but the simple things in life made her smile. Exactly like this ring would.

"Having second thoughts?" A soft voice comes from behind me.

I turn my head around and see my mother. She walks over and sits beside me on the grass.

"It's a gorgeous ring" She says, admiring the ring sitting in my palm.

"Yeah" I agree, turning it round in my hand.

The sun catches on the edges of the ring, releasing beams of pure reflected light.

"I know you're thinking about Katniss" My mother says, resting her hand on mine.

I sigh. "I miss her, mom. And this ring should be for her"

"But, it's not, is it?" She says, pausing for a moment. "Gale, I know you loved her, but she chose Peeta and you know that"

"I know, but"

"No buts Gale. You can't change what's in the past; you must concentrate on the future. On your future with Maya"

"I haven't thought about Katniss for years, but seeing this ring made me remember"

"And you must forget" She says softly. "Maya's one of the best things to ever happen to you"

"I know... and I do love her"

"Good, then don't let go of her, Gale"

"But-"

She tightens her grip on my hand and gives it a soft squeeze, then looks up into my eyes.

"Don't let go"

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><p><strong>AN- I think I got Gale's character right, roughly... Well it was fun to write anyway!**

**And now is the time to press the little button under my blabbering and REVIEW PLEASE! **

**Thanks, FireflyLlama x**


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